Thorpe Lea Primary School
'A dedicated community working together, nurturing a safe, happy school where all children can achieve their potential'
English
Whilst every adult at Thorpe Lea Primary is responsible for supporting children's spoken, reading and written skills; Miss McRae is our English Subject Leader.
At Thorpe Lea Primary, our English curriculum is planned in line with the National Curriculum which aims to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.
The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
- read easily, fluently and with a good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary
- an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language to appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
At Thorpe Lea, we aim to ensure that all children foster a love of reading and writing. To do this, we teach English through dedicated 'English' lessons across the school which focuses on a Key Text approach. In addition, our children are continuously developing their English skills across other areas of the curriculum.
Key Text Approach
Please find below the Key Texts each year group are studying across the year. Please note, due to the COVID-19 school closure, the order of texts may slightly differ for the academic year 2020-21.
| Year One
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| Autumn (1) | Autumn (2) | Autumn (3) | Autumn (4) | Spring (1) | Spring (2) | Spring (3) | Spring (4) | Summer (1) | Summer (2) | Summer (3) | Summer (4) |
| Where the Wild Things Are By Maurice Sendak | Cave Baby By Julia Donaldson | Send For a Superhero By Michael Rosen | Stanley’s Stick By John Hegley | Lost and Found By Oliver Jefferies | Sidney, Stella and the Moon By Emma Yarlett | Beegu By Alexis Deacon | The Odd Egg By Emily Gravett | I Want My Hat Back By John Klassen | The Magic Bed By John Burmingham | Naughty Bus By Jan Oke | Pig the Pug By Jo Williamson |
| Oral re-telling, developing a new character, own version narrative
| Labels and captions, informal letters, narratives (own versions), retellings | Wanted posters, letters, emails, character descriptions, narrative (own version) | Retelling, narrative (own version), descriptions | Character Descriptions, Retellings, Non-chronological Reports, Narrative (Own Versions) | Moon fact files and simple information writing | Nonsense-Word Dictionary, Poems and Poetic Sentences | Diary entry, letter, certificate, Egg Spotter’s Guide (non-fiction report) | Narrative (sequel) | Fantasy story where children are transported to another world | Letters, sequels, non-chronological reports, narrative (own versions) | Shared poem, own version narrative, own version handbook |
| Year Two
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| Autumn (1) | Autumn (2) | Autumn (3) | Autumn (4) | Spring (1) | Spring (2) | Spring (3) | Spring (4) | Summer (1) | Summer (2) | Summer (3) | Summer (4) |
| The Bear under the stairs By Helen Cooper
| The Journey Home By Frann Preston-Gannon | The Great Fire of London By Emma Adams
| Wolves By Emily Gravett
| A Walk in London By Salvorte Rubbino
| The Minpins By Roald Dahl
| The Dragon Machine By Helen Ward
| Tadpole’s Promise By Jeanne WIllis
| House Help Up Trees By Ted Kooser
| Jim and the Beanstalk By Raymond Briggs
| Rosie Revere, Engineer By Andrea Beatty
| The Owl and the Pussycat By Edward Lear
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| Letter of advice, writing in role, news-report, information poster and own version narrative | Posters, lists, short story, information report | Non- fiction text incorporating different text-types, including a guide to London buildings (non-chronological report), a poster and a diary entry in role. | Non-chronological reports (leaflets), character descriptions | Tourist guides | Setting description, character description, reports, retellings, fantasy narrative | Dragon guide and encyclopedia, dragon machine explanation, letter of advice, shopping list, description, letters in role | Explanation texts, narrative (own version), setting descriptions | Descriptive non-fiction. life-cycles, seed packets, journalistic writing | Narrative (Sequels and Retellings), Dialogue, Informal Letters | Explanation, report, advert, leaflet | Poetry, lists, letters, interviews |
| Year Three
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| Autumn (1) | Autumn (2) | Autumn (3) | Autumn (4) | Spring (1) | Spring (2) | Spring (3) | Spring (4) | Summer (1) | Summer (2) | Summer (3) | Summer (4) |
The BFG By Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake
| Leon and the Place Between By Angela McAllister and Grahame Baker-Smith | The First Drawing By Mordicai Gerstein
| The Heart and the Bottle By Oliver Jeffers
| The Tear Thief By Carol Ann Duffy and Nicoletta Ceccoli
| Cloud Tea Monkeys By Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham
| The Pied Piper By Brothers Grimm and Lisbeth Zwerger
| The Tin Forest By Helen Ward and Wayne Anderson
| The Mysteries of Harris Burdick By Chris Van Allsberg
| Flotsam By David Wienser
| The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish By Neil Gaiman | Jim, A Cautionary Tale By Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey
| |
Narrative - own version (fantasy), recount (diary entry), character descriptions, instructions (recipes) | Narrative (Fantasy), Recount (Diary Entry) Setting Descriptions | Character description, diary entry, recount, narrative | Narrative (dilemma stories), character descriptions | Letter in role, shared poem, information poster, discussion | Descriptive passage, ‘how to’ guide, letter, discussion, nonchronological report | Information reports, adverts, narrative and analysis of a piece of poetry | Various non-fiction outcomes | Mystery stories, diary entries, dialogue, setting description (atmospheric description), captions and titles | Narrative (mystery stories), setting descriptions, narrative (retelling), non-Chronological reports, letters (informal) | Script for a pilot TV show | Narrative poetry (cautionary tales), performance poetry | |
| Year Four
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| Autumn (1) | Autumn (2) | Autumn (3) | Autumn (4) | Spring (1) | Spring (2) | Spring (3) | Spring (4) | Summer (1) | Summer (2) | Summer (3) | Summer (4) |
| The Iron Man By Ted Hughes | Varmints By Helen Ward
| FaRther By Graeme Smith
| The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe By C S Lewis | Winter's Child By Angela McAllister
| The Selfish Giant By Oscar Wilde
| The Lion and the Unicorn By Shirley Hughes
| Odd and the Frost Giants By Neil Gaiman
| The Matchbox Diary By Paul Fleischman
| Shakelton's Journey By William Grill
| The Story of Tutankhamun By Patricia Cleveland-Peck
| Jabberwocky By Lewis Carroll
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| Narrative suspense | Explanation text (leaflet), retellings, setting description | Sequel, retellings, recounts (postcards), explanation texts | Narrative set in another world, a poem about a sweet that bewitches the main character, an imaginary conversation between two characters and writing in role | Descriptive Poetry, Fantasy Story Sequel, Recount | Diaries, letters, posters, reports, own versions (narratives) | Letters, diary entries, character and setting descriptions, nonchronological reports, historical narrative | Explanations, narrative recount, setting descriptions | Dialogue, diary entry, retelling (oral dictation), mini-autobiography, ship’s log, non-chronological report | Interviews, Diaries, Letters, Newspaper report
| Biography, non-chronological reports, instructions, diary entry, newspaper reports and posters | Nonsense and narrative poetry, explanatory descriptions |
| Year Five
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| Autumn (1) | Autumn (2) | Autumn (3) | Autumn (4) | Spring (1) | Spring (2) | Spring (3) | Spring (4) | Summer (1) | Summer (2) | Summer (3) | Summer (4) |
| The Man Who Walked Between the Towers By Mordicai Gerstein | Robot Girl By Malorie Blackman and Matthew Griffin
| Percy Jackson By Rick Riordan
| Unspoken By Henry Cole
| The Lost Thing By Shaun Tan
| The Tempest By William Shakespeare, Helen Street and Charly Cheung
| The Lost Happy Endings By Carol Ann Duffy and Jane Ray | The Sleeper and the Spindle By Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell | Kaspar, Prince of Cats By Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman | Otto, Autobiography of a Teddy-bear By Tomi Ungerer
| Hidden Figures By Margot Lee Shetterly | The Strange Case of Origami Yoda By Tom Angelberger |
| Information writing (Wikipedia page), letters of advice (formal) persuasive speeches
| Discussion, debate, science fiction narrative | Poetry in the form of an ode, narrative (additional chapter and own-version narrative) | Biography, recount in role, letters of advice | Character and setting descriptions, non-chronological reports, narrative (fantasy) | Setting description, character descriptions/comparisons, diary entry, play scripts
| A newspaper report, an extended response to a text, prequel | Fairytale reworking warning poster, diary entry, dialogue, estate agent’s description, character description, missing narrative. | Character descriptions, reports, newspaper report, letters | Newspaper article, historical short story | Non-chronological Reports, formal persuasive letter, informal letter, diary entry, character descriptions, newspaper report (opinion piece), memoir | Discussion texts, persuasion, recount (diary entry), instructions |
| Year Six
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| Autumn (1) | Autumn (2) | Autumn (3) | Autumn (4) | Spring (1) | Spring (2) | Spring (3) | Spring (4) | Summer (1) | Summer (2) | Summer (3) | Summer (4) |
| Can We Save the Tiger? By Martin Jenkins and Vicky White | Grimm Tales for Young and Old By Phillip Pullman
| The Arrival By Shaun Tan
| The Templeton Twins: Have an Idea By Ellis Weiner | The Boy in the Tower By Polly Ho-Yen
| The Invention of Hugo Cabret By Brian Selznick | The Three Little Pigs Project By The Guardian
| The Promise By Nicola Davies and Laura Davies
| Romeo and Juliet By William Shakespeare, Helen Street and Charly Cheung | A Beautiful Lie By Irfan Master
| Ann Frank
| Night Mail By W H Auden and GPO Film Unit
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| Letter, explanation, persuasive poster, persuasive speech, balanced argument
| New ‘Grimm’ tale | Letters, list of rules, character descriptions, a longer story built around a man’s journey to another country, diaries, short play scripts, short report, guides | An adventure story that has: a problem and resolution; paragraphs and/or chapters with adverbials to signal time, | Journalistic Writing, Formal Letters, a Longer narrative in present and past tense | Diary entry, report, journalistic writing, letters, commands | Discussion, debate, persuasion | Sequel and report | Diaries, letters, narratives, playscripts, character descriptions, balanced argument | Narrative (Adventure), Journalistic Writing, Recounts, Discussion text | Extended diary entries, obituary, newspaper article | Analysis of form and structure, innovated version with similar form and structure but different content |